News, recaps, and gossip about FOX's hit television show Glee

Brainiacs and the League of Doom: “A Night of Neglect” (2×17) Gleecap

Glee finally returned to our TV screens this week, but despite the hype surrounding the show’s first airing after the hiatus, the episode fell somewhat flat as a whole. That’s not to say that the episode didn’t have some very strong moments (Emma revealing her despair over her life and her disorder, Santana standing up for Kurt & Blaine when confronting Karofsky, Sue’s League of Doom) and performances (Sunshine’s stunning “All By Myself”, Holly’s emotional “Turning Tables”), but overall it didn’t feel very cohesive. “Neglect” is one of the weakest themes Glee‘s focused on as of late, and the episode doesn’t feel like one that will remain etched in viewers’ minds for long. But let’s look into it a little further…

Favourite Character: Let’s hear it for Brittany the Brainiac! I absolutely loved the idea of her being a substitute member of the school’s academic decathlon team, and that she’s extremely knowledgable on cat diseases. The Brainiacs storyline was a really cute side-plot that I think was worked into the episode really well. I need to learn their adorable team move!

Dustin: Let me tell you something about Will Schuester. That guy has tiny baby hands. Seriously, it’s weird. Once I saw him try and pick up a Big Mac, he couldn’t do it. He had to eat it layer by layer. Teeny, tiny, wee baby hands.

Holly: I spent three years sending hate mail to Debbie Gibson until she wrote me back and said the stress of my letters was giving her alopecia.

Favourite Moment: Surprisingly, I was incredibly bowled over by Emma in this episode. I consider this surprising because I’ve found myself rather bored with Emma as of late, as I’ve realized that all they’ve managed to do with her character is endless relationship drama. Her OCD has never been treated particularly seriously, and I’m rather tired of it being used as a gag joke, be it the cleaning of the grapes or the scrubbing of the table with an electric toothbrush. But in the one and only scene she had in the episode, I was completely stunned at how realistic, sad and vulnerable her character finally was for me. I really hope that this is the direction they continue to move in with Emma, because I think an exploration of her serious disorder is more interesting than her hopping from man to man to man.

Guest Star Ranking: Holy crap, there were a lot of fantastic guest stars in this week’s episode! This meant that we saw a lot less of some of our regular stars like Rachel, Finn and Kurt, but I think it all evened out alright. Holly was fantastic as per usual, and I do hope she’ll return in season 3. Loved the return of Vocal Adrenaline’s Sunshine and Dustin Goolsby – Dustin was incredibly hilarious and devious. I want a relationship to blossom between him and Sue! I was also incredibly excited to see Sandy and Terri back, and neither disappointed me. I can’t wait to see what Terri gets up to next week! Who was your favourite guest star this week, gleeks?

Best Song: Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed by this week’s musical performances, except, of course, for Sunshine’s chill-inducing rendition of “All By Myself”. So very happy that she’s finally back on the show, and I’m super looking forward to more excellent performances from her. I also enjoyed Holly’s performance of “Turning Tables,” namely the powerfully raw emotion she put into her version of it. I still think Adele’s original is far better though.

Funniest Scene: Hands-down, Sue’s League of Doom. Those four had fantastic comedic chemistry! I loved how none of them could actually remember the name “League of Doom”, as well as Sue’s hilarious code names for them all.

Weak Point: I love the idea of Lauren and Mercedes being friends. I love the idea of Lauren helping Mercedes learn how to gain more respect from peers. What I hate? Lauren teaching Mercedes to be an over-the-top diva bitch. Thank goodness Rachel managed to talk Mercedes down from the ledge because if that storyline had continued any longer, I might have had my own diva-style fit. Really ridiculous and it bothered me to see Mercedes fall into that stereotype.

Next week: Get ready for 90 minutes of gleekiness! Plus a kick-ass performance of “Born This Way” and a surprising new candidate for prom queen! And guess who’s coming back to McKinley…! Check out the preview for next week’s episode now!

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Gleeks United is your one-stop shop for all things Glee: news, recaps, gossip, and, of course, lots of video clips featuring the talented New Directions Glee Club at their best. More about Gleeks United.